Situational interview questions are a challenge to answer.  The interviewer opens with “Tell me about a time when . . .” and you then have to come up with a prior situation that is applicable on the spot.  It is easy to get lost in recounting the story and completely miss the mark.  These types of questions are known as behavioral interview questions.  Common questions center around the themes of customer service, adaptability, team work, time management and communication.  These questions are non technical and are 100% focused on you.  They ask a candidate to share examples of specific situations they’ve been in where they had to use certain skills or explain how they navigated certain types of scenarios.  It is simply a way to see what you are capable of accomplishing based on your past performance.  And it is your chance to convince someone else that you belong on their team.  

For behavioral interview questions you can prepare in advance.  This puts you in control.  You have the answers, you just need to find the right narrative.  As you read through the 10 questions below, think about what stories you could share in response.  Remember, your stories do not all have to be “work” related and can often be tweaked to fit any variation of the question the interviewer asks. 

1. Describe a project that required a lot of energy over an extended period of time. What did you do to keep your enthusiasm up? 

2. Tell me about a time when you reached a goal?

3. Tell me about something you did to improve operations at your last/current company.

4. Tell me about a time your crew fell behind schedule. What did you implement to increase productivity and make up for lost time?

5. Describe the system you use to stay organized.

6. Tell me about the most challenging “sale” you’ve made? (does not have to be a literal sale, can be a situation of persuasion or convincing to an alternate point of view)

7. Tell me about how you deal with an angry or frustrated customer?

8. Tell me about your training. What have you done to become a better salesperson?

9. How comfortable are you expressing your viewpoint during meetings? Please give a recent example of when you did so.

10. Tell me about your mentor.